


you know i'm one for the overly passionate

by smallredboy



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Class Differences, F/M, Overworking, Pining, Pre-Het, Trans Allison Cameron, Trans Eric Foreman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 16:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21200999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallredboy/pseuds/smallredboy
Summary: Allison talks Eric into taking the day off.





	you know i'm one for the overly passionate

**Author's Note:**

> for the 'part time job' prompt in my whole new world card, and 'worked themselves to exhaustion' in my bad things happen bingo card.
> 
> enjoy!

"If I have to work at Wal-Mart for one more minute I'll go insane," Eric tells Allison, who's checking out her items on his lane.

"At least you're getting money," Allison points out as she finishes ringing up what she's buying. It's just some cat food for the family pet, plus a few veggies here and there. Eric has dealt with far worse loads, so he doesn't complain about having his sort-of girlfriend be a customer for a dreaded ten minutes.

He huffs. "Barely."

"Well." She eyes him carefully, smiles at him. She really does look great— as much as he's trans too, if the rumors didn't go like wildfire in their school, he  _ never _ would've noticed Allison is just like him. The puberty blockers helped with that, perhaps, but it only makes him bitter, so he doesn't dwell on it. "If you're not making all that much, would it hurt for you to take the day off tomorrow? You need to rest."

There's the other difference between them that makes him bitter— she's got the American dream in her hand and doesn't even realize it. Her parents are well-off, she's transitioned and passes flawlessly when she's seventeen with a few days, she's white and gorgeous. There's few problems in her life, there's few tensions to smoothen out. Meanwhile he has to deal with a part-time job she won't even need until college comes.

"Eh." He shrugs. "I'll probably be fine, I'm not taking the day off tomorrow."

"Eric!" she exclaims. "C'mon, you're going to work yourself to death here."

"It's a part-time job as a  _ cashier _ ! It's maddening, but it won't kill me! I'm doing fine, Allison." He pauses and grabs the water bottle he keeps at his booth, taking a long sip from it before looking back at her. "Just because you wouldn't be able to take being shoved around and treated like garbage for four hours doesn't mean I can't."

Allison's face softens. "Okay. Just… don't overwork yourself, yeah? I'll be in, like, my house. If you want to talk or relax or something."

"Yeah," he nods. "Sorry for yelling."

"It's good. I know I don't understand sometimes."

Eric nods, biting the inside of his cheek as he watches her leave. 

The next day, he does access her offer. He takes the day off and wriggles out of his binder as soon as he's out of school, putting on a new shirt before heading to the Camerons' place. It's homely, but more importantly it's suburban. It must be somewhere close to twice the size of his parents' place. 

He rings the bell. Ms. Cameron is the one to answer, smiling at him.

"Hi Eric! Allie told us you might be coming over. I made cookies!"

He smiles at her, mumbles a thank you before heading right onto the living room. As soon as he sees the couches, he pretty much collapses into one of them, face-first as the soft, plushy leather welcomes him.

"Eric! You came!"

He groans and rolls back to being on his back. "Yeah. I'm— exhausted. Thank you for. The offer. And all that."

Allison smiles at him from ear to ear, a plate of chocolate chip cookies on her hand. He immediately leans in to grab one and start eating. "It's no problem," she tells him. "You just seemed really stressed out."

"I am," he agrees, getting comfortable again, laying on his side, almost nudging at Allison's thigh. His face is a little warm. "it's just, you know. Junior year, part-time job, parents, being trans. All that fun stuff."

He knows she doesn't  _ precisely _ relate (it's about half of that she can relate to, he thinks), but she still offers a helping hand. "I'm here if you need me, Eric."

He tilts his head up to meet her eye. His hands get a little sweaty against the leather couch, and he can't help but give her a nervous smile. "I'm here if you need me too, Allie."

Allison nods, and the moment wears off awkwardly, her looking away while he still glances up before going back to staring at the sofa, his belly clenching. He doesn't want to deal with the drama of popular girl Allison dating new kid Eric, never mind how they'll all react because oh, black guy on white gal drama. He couldn't care less about all that, but the rest of the world does. 

So he shuts his mouth about anything that might come out of it, until Cameron breaks the hesitant silence.

"Do you want more cookies? I think there's still some in the oven."

He lights up. "Of course."


End file.
